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"The Ceasefire That Never Was: How Media, Power, and Misinformation Fuel Endless War" - 25 June 2025

Ceasefire in Name Only: How Media Spin and Political Theatre Masked Ongoing Violence Between Israel and Iran

Ivor Jones The Māori Green Ltn

25 Jun 2025 — 7 min read

Tēnā koutou katoa – greetings to you all.

“Ceasefire” is a word that should mean hope. But in the case of the so-called Israel-Iran ceasefire brokered by Donald Trump, it was little more than a PR stunt – a mirage of peace masking ongoing violence and imperial power plays. This essay exposes how the ceasefire was never real, how media and politicians manipulated language to obscure the truth, and why this matters deeply for Māori and all Indigenous peoples fighting for justice.

https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/06/24/israel-and-iran-accept-president-trumps-ceasefire-on-12-day-war/

Background: The Anatomy of a Manufactured Ceasefire

A ceasefire, in international law and diplomacy, means a mutual agreement to halt hostilities. In te ao Māori, peace is not just the absence of violence but the restoration of balance – te mauri o te whenua, te tangata, me ngā atua. The Israel-Iran conflict, like so many colonial wars, is rooted in histories of dispossession, empire, and the ongoing denial of Indigenous sovereignty. The 2025 “12-Day War” was framed as a clash between two regional powers, but the real story is about the manipulation of truth, the erasure of victims, and the cynical use of “peace” as a weapon.

The Ceasefire Announcement and Its Immediate Collapse

On June 24, 2025, media outlets around the world reported that Israel and Iran had accepted a ceasefire plan proposed by US President Donald Trump to end their 12-day war. Both sides made public statements claiming victory and agreeing to halt attacks1 2 3. Trump declared on social media: “THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!”1 3 Yet, within hours, explosions rocked cities, missiles flew, and both sides accused each other of violations4 5 6 7 8 9. Iranian officials even denied that any ceasefire agreement had been reached, and Israeli leaders threatened renewed force10 8. The so-called peace was a fiction – a media event, not a reality.

This matters for Māori because it reveals how power manipulates narratives, how colonial violence is disguised as diplomacy, and how Indigenous voices are erased in the fog of war. The scope of this analysis is to lay bare the tactics used to manufacture consent and silence dissent, drawing clear parallels to the struggles faced here in Aotearoa.

How the Ceasefire Narrative Was Constructed and Destroyed

1. The Ceasefire Was Never Real – Only Announced

Despite headlines trumpeting peace, the facts show that fighting never stopped. Israeli airstrikes on Tehran continued until just before and even after the supposed ceasefire deadline, while Iranian missile barrages killed civilians in Israel1 2 11 5 7 9. Even after Trump’s declaration, Israeli officials admitted to launching attacks on “the heart of Tehran” and killing “hundreds of Basij and Iranian security forces”7. Iran, for its part, denied launching missiles after the ceasefire but acknowledged ongoing “responses” if Israeli aggression continued10 8. The so-called agreement was never mutual, never implemented, and never respected.

2. Media Manipulation and Political Spin

Corporate media, including the Associated Press and 1News, repeated official statements without challenge, amplifying the illusion of a ceasefire1 2. The language used – “both sides agreed,” “ceasefire in effect,” “Israel will respond forcefully to violations” – was designed to manufacture legitimacy for Trump’s intervention and to paint Israel as a responsible actor, despite ongoing aggression1 2 3. Meanwhile, Iranian officials’ denials and demands for actual cessation of attacks were buried or dismissed10 8. This is classic colonial propaganda: control the narrative, erase the victims, and blame the oppressed for their own suffering.

3. The Blame Game: Both Sides Accused, No Accountability

Within hours of the ceasefire “taking effect,” both Israel and Iran accused each other of violations5 6 7 8 9. Trump himself admitted, “They violated it but Israel violated it too. I’m not happy with Israel”6 7. Israeli officials claimed Iran fired missiles after the ceasefire, while Iran denied it and pointed to ongoing Israeli airstrikes5 7 8. This mutual finger-pointing obscured the reality: there was never a genuine cessation of hostilities. The ceasefire was a diplomatic fiction, used to reset the propaganda clock and justify further violence.

4. The Colonial Playbook: Distraction, Denial, and Delegitimization

The far-right and neoliberal media used this moment to push classic colonial narratives:

Painting Israel as a rational actor defending itself, while Iran is cast as the aggressor1 2 5 7.
Using the language of “ceasefire” to distract from ongoing bombings, civilian deaths, and the destruction of infrastructure11 5 7 8.
Blaming both sides equally to avoid holding the US and its allies accountable for fueling and arming the conflict6 7 9.

This is the same playbook used in Aotearoa to delegitimize Māori resistance, deny colonial violence, and promote “one law for all” rhetoric. It’s about erasing the context of occupation, dispossession, and structural racism.

5. Māori Values and the Demand for Truth

From a Māori perspective, the principle of pono (truth) demands that we expose these lies. The value of manaakitanga (care for all people) calls us to stand with all victims of colonial violence, whether in Gaza, Tehran, or Taranaki. The rhetoric of “ceasefire” without justice is an insult to the memory of our own tūpuna who endured raupatu and broken promises.

Implications: Why This Matters for Māori and the World

The collapse of the Israel-Iran ceasefire is not just a distant geopolitical event. It is a warning about the power of propaganda, the dangers of uncritical media, and the ongoing reality of colonial violence. For Māori, it is a reminder that our struggles are global, that the language of peace can be weaponized against us, and that only truth-telling and solidarity can break the cycle.

When the world accepts fake ceasefires, it normalizes broken treaties, stolen land, and endless war. It teaches our tamariki that justice is negotiable, that power trumps truth, and that Indigenous lives are expendable. We must resist this at every turn.

The Ceasefire That Never Was – And the Fight for Real Peace

The so-called Israel-Iran ceasefire was a lie – a media event designed to distract, deceive, and enable further violence. The facts are clear: fighting never stopped, civilians kept dying, and politicians spun the story to suit their interests1 2 11 5 6 7 8 9. As Māori, we know too well the cost of believing in colonial promises. We must demand pono, challenge propaganda, and stand in solidarity with all peoples resisting empire.

If you value this kind of truth-telling, please consider a koha/donation to support this kaupapa: HTDM: 03-1546-0415173-000. I understand these are tough times for many whānau, so only give if you are able and wish to do so.

Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui – be strong, be brave, be steadfast. Ngā manaakitanga, The Māori Green Lantern

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